Deja Vu
by pinkdigi
Summary: There's always tomorrow, but when there isn't, just go back to yesterday. [taiora, AU]
1. What a Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, but I do own Paul, Tom and Brad!**

**Chapter One: What a Day**

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Ever since Sora could remember, maybe even before that, they had been best friends. She could remember running around the soccer field with him, kicking a soccer ball back and forth. She could remember spending day, after day, after day out on that soccer field growing up, having the time of her life. She had always figured that she would eventually end up with him…that she and Tai would be together, but she couldn't have been more wrong. That became more and more apparent to Sora when they reached high school, and everything changed.

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"Sora, wake up, you're late!" Sora's mother said as she shook her daughter awake.

"What? Mom what time is it? Why are you shaking me?" Sora lifted her head and glanced at her clock. School was starting in eight minutes. "Oh my God! I'm gonna be _so_ late!"

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Sora raced down the school hallway as the late bell went off. _Shit! I'm gonna be in so much trouble!_ Sora screamed at herself as she ran. She ran as fast as she could, and completely missed the "wet floor" sign on the floor. She hit the wet area, and slid. She fell right on her butt, and the seat of her pants was entirely soaked. It looked like she had peed herself. Not only that, but it was out-of-uniform day, so she was wearing her favourite skirt…which was now very dirty. She cursed herself again as she stood up and _carefully_ jogged to class.

"Ms. Takenouchi, you're late," her teacher, Mrs. Totoba, said sternly. Sora had tried—unsuccessfully—to sneak into class unnoticed. She was now incredibly late, because she had stopped in the bathroom and blow-dried her skirt.

"I'm sorry, but I had an emergency," Sora lied.

"Which was…?" Sora froze. She hadn't thought this far ahead.

"Uh…um…"

"Ms. Takenouchi, I'm waiting," Mrs. Totoba said angrily.

"It's my fault, Mrs. Totoba," Tai said, walking into the class. Mrs. Totoba's head jerked up toward the door, and her eyes narrowed toward Tai,

"Really, Mr. Kamiya. Now, explain to me how it's your fault that a student in an entirely different class than you is late," she challenged. Tai, never being one to back down from a challenge, grinned.

"Well, this morning Sora missed the bus because of me, and I was going to give her a ride to school but my car broke down. Then, when we finally got to school, I couldn't get my locker open. Sora, being the kind girl that she is, tried helped me out. So please, don't punish her for being a considerate person, Mrs. Totoba," Tai explained. Sora marveled at how quickly Tai made the story up. She held her breath, waiting to see if her teacher would buy it or not.

"Very well. Sora, sit down now. Taichi, get back to your classroom." They nodded, and Sora rushed to her seat. She shot Tai a look that said 'I owe you my life" and Tai gave her one back that said 'don't I know it'. He smiled smugly, and left to get to his homeroom.

"Now class, as I was saying before Ms. Takenouchi came in…" Mrs. Totoba said, returning to her lesson.

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"Tai, that was amazing! Thank you so much! How did you do it?" Sora screeched, reaching over the table to hug Tai graciously. It was their lunch period, and they were in the cafeteria.

"Well, I was walking by when you ran in and I heard her yelling, so…I thought I'd play hero," he said smugly. "As for the amazing part…I know." Sora laughed.

He could always make her laugh, without even trying. That was one of the things she loved about him…he was so carefree and always there to rescue her when she needed rescuing. She sighed. Her life would be so much simpler if only…

Her thoughts were interrupted, as Matt—a.k.a. the complication—sat down beside her at the lunch table.

"Hey, are you guys coming to the party tonight?" Matt asked.

"Sure are," Tai and Sora said at the same time.

"Jinx!" they both screamed at the same time. "Double jinx," they, once again, said together. They were about to go on when:

"I'm so dead!" Mimi complained as she and her boyfriend, Paul, sat down at the table.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, concerned.

"Did you know that we had a huge test in science next period?" Only Sora nodded, since she was the only one in Mimi's science class. "Well, I didn't know! I'm so screwed…I can't believe this, I really need to do good on this test to bring my mark up."

"Oh Mimi, you'll do fine," Paul said stiffly, and unfazed.

Sora bit her tongue to keep from saying something she knew she shouldn't say. She didn't care too much for Paul. He didn't treat Mimi the way she deserved to be treated, and yet Mimi didn't seem to notice. Ever since Sora had known Mimi—which was a rather long time—she had always wanted to be treated like a princess. When she met Paul, something in her changed. Sora didn't want to say anything, because she knew how much Mimi liked Paul…but it was getting harder and harder to do. Sometimes, she just wanted to smack him, to scream 'what's wrong with you', to make Mimi come to her senses, and leave him.

Sora decided that now was the time to do something. So what if Mimi got a little mad at her, she'd get over it, right? The bell rang, just as Sora had opened her mouth to speak. Paul jumped up from the table, and grabbed his books. He took off without even saying goodbye to Mimi. Sora just sighed as they picked up their books, and walked to class.

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Sora sat in her third-period science class, waiting for the bell to ring. She had just finished her test—which was a real nail-biter, by the way—and there was only five minutes of class left. She threw a glance at Mimi, who was writing furiously. Sora hoped that they both did okay.

Across the room, Mimi flipped her paper over. She looked up at Sora, and made a face. 'That was so hard' she mouthed to Sora. 'I know…how do you think you did?' Sora mouthed back. Years ago, they had perfected the art of silent-talking back and forth. (**A/N: my friend and I can do it, which is why I included it in the story. It comes in pretty handy when you don't feel like doing work.**) Mimi made a face, telling Sora she probably didn't do so well. The bell rang, and everyone piled out of the room after handing in their tests.

"I hate science…it's my least favourite class _ever_," Mimi groaned as they walked down the hall. They were about to turn the corner to their lockers when a boy came flying from the other direction, and smacked into Mimi. She fell to the ground, and her books flew everywhere.

"Sorry," he said, and helped her up. He collected her books, and looked into her eyes.

"N-no problem," Mimi said. She smiled flirtatiously, and twirled a piece of hair between her fingers. "I'm Mimi," she said still flashing her dazzling smile.

"Brad," he said, smiling back. "I gotta get to class. Hey—are you going to Tom's party tonight?" Mimi nodded. "Well…maybe I'll see you there then," he said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe," Mimi said as he waved goodbye. She waved back, and he ran off to his class.

"He was cute," Sora said once Brad was gone.

"Yeah…I guess he was," Mimi said, trying to hide the fact she was obviously interested in the guy. As the girls continued walking, Sora threw a quick glance behind her, and saw Paul standing a few feet away, glaring at Mimi. He got jealous whenever Mimi _looked_ at another guy…Sora wondered what he would do when she _flirted_ with them. Something about the look in his eyes scared her.

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Fourth period dragged on slower than Sora had ever seen it before. It was not only history—her least favourite class—but it was that last class on a Friday, right before a party she was dying to go to. Tom, one of the most popular guys in school, had invited her and her friends to the party he was throwing that night while his parents were out of town.

She had none of her friends in that class, so she didn't even have anyone to talk to, or roll her eyes at. She yawned, and realized how tired she was. She had barely gotten any sleep last night, because, well…it was too complicated and she didn't want to think about it right now. She tried to focus on the lesson, but history was just _too_ _boring!_ Her eyelids began getting very heavy. The last thing she remembered was the teacher using a pointer to show the class something on the overhead, before she fell asleep…

**SMASH **

Sora's eyes flew open as her teacher smashed the pointer against her desk.

"Ms. Takenouchi, would you mind repeating what I just said for the class?" Sora's teacher asked, smugly. Sora searched her brain for something, _anything,_ that could _possibly_ be the right answer. She couldn't even remember what class she was in, let alone what they could be talking about. She cursed herself for falling asleep.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know," Sora said.

"Since it's Friday and I don't feel like staying after school before the weekend," her teacher began. _Yes! _Sora thought. _She's not going to give me detention, after all!_"We can hold our detention on Monday, after school." Sora sighed, and nodded. The teacher went back to the lesson. Sora glanced up at the clock, and saw that there was only one minute left to go. _Thank God. There's no way I can get in trouble with only one minute left._

**RING RING RING **

Sora cringed as she heard the sound of a cell phone ringing. She cringed even more when she realized it was coming from _her _purse. She wasn't supposed to have a cell phone with her during school hours…especially not turned on!

"Ms. Takenouchi, I presume that's you again?" Sora's teacher said dryly. Sora nodded, and held her breath, waiting for it to come. "I'll see you Tuesday _and _Wednesday after school next week, as well." Sora nodded, as the bell rang. _Why couldn't the bell have run just 30 seconds earlier?_ She collected her books, and rushed out of the room before she got more detentions.

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**Sorry that this chapter doesn't really have a point to it…and doesn't seem like it has anything to do with the story, but it does! I promise.**


	2. What a Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon. **

**Chapter Two: What a Night  
**…………………………………………………………

Sora collapsed on her bed, and buried her head in her pillow. What a day it had been. She had been incredibly late to homeroom, had probably failed her science test, and got three detentions. Plus, she couldn't get rid of this strange feeling she had in her stomach. Something was telling her that tonight wasn't going to be much better than the day had been. She shook off the feeling as she fell into a deep sleep.

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"Sora, come on, let's go! Paul is waiting, and I don't want to be late!" Mimi yelled up the stairs to Sora's bedroom. Mimi had come over an hour ago, and the two of them got ready for the party together. The entire time, Mimi had talked all about Paul. The entire time, Sora tried to pretend she was listening, but really, she was trying to convince herself everything was going to be all right tonight. She _still_ couldn't get over the feeling that something huge was going to happen tonight, and that it would change their lives forever.

"Coming!" Sora yelled back, as she ran down the stairs. "We're going now, mom!"

"Bye! Not too late," Sora's mom yelled.

"Okay. Bye!"

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"Hey," Sora yelled over the loud music as she and Mimi found Tai and Matt.

"Hey," Tai and Matt shouted back. Mimi smiled, and scanned the crowd for Paul. Sora just rolled her eyes, deciding the party wasn't really the place to confront Mimi about Paul. Suddenly, she saw him come up behind her. She got this gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched him grab Mimi's arm.

She turned around and hugged him. Normal, right? Wrong: something was off about the look on Paul's face. Sora didn't like it one bit. She shot a look at Tai, who didn't really seem to notice. She then looked at Matt, who was watching them intently. He seemed to notice, but didn't seem to do anything about it. Sora thought maybe she was just making too much of it.

When she looked back in Mimi's direction, she and Paul had disappeared. Sora sighed, and turned back to her guy friends.

"Come on, let's get some punch," Matt suggested. Tai and Sora nodded, and the three of them headed to the punchbowl.

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_It's almost midnight, and I still haven't seen Mimi! _Sora was beginning to worry…she hadn't seen Mimi in about three hours.

"She's probably with Paul, you know," Matt said, coming up behind her. She jumped a little, startled by his comment.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Because I was thinking the same thing a minute ago." He flashed her a smile, and she practically melted. He was so kind, and caring. This was what made 'Sora and Tai' so complicated: The fact that there was also a 'Sora and Matt.' She had feelings for both of them, and from what she could tell, they had feelings for her as well. She hated the fact that they both liked her…she felt like she was cheating on one when she was with the other. Sometimes, like right now, she thought that Matt also had feelings for Mimi. He was always so protective of her…but maybe that was just because they were good friends.

She took a sip of her punch. She was beginning to feel a little buzzed…maybe the punch was spiked. "Does this punch taste a little funny to you?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think it might be spiked," he said, taking a sip of his. Sora laughed. Next thing she knew, they were making out like crazy.

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Sora stood outside her car that night, waiting for Mimi to show. She hadn't seen her since they arrived at the party. Of course, she spent about an hour of the party making out with Matt, but still…she was worried. She reached into her purse and was about to call Mimi's cell when she heard someone behind her. She spun around, and saw Mimi.

"There you are! Thank God you're all right, I was so…" Sora stopped short, realizing Mimi _wasn't_ all right. On closer inspection, she noticed that her clothes were torn, her hair was a mess, and she had a black eye. Mimi was panting, like she had just run a marathon. "Get in the car," she said stiffly.

"Sora…" Mimi started to complain.

"I said, get in the car." Mimi nodded, and got in the car. Sora drove to her house, and the two girls went inside. Her mother wouldn't mind if Mimi spent the night, and there was no way that Sora was leaving Mimi alone tonight.

"He did this, didn't he?" Sora asked, inspecting Mimi's bruises in her bedroom that night.

"Yeah. Yeah, he did," Mimi whispered. "He didn't mean to…it was my fault. He was just upset because he had seen me talking to Brad today at school. Then, at Tom's party, I ran into him. I was talking to him and he got really jealous. It's kind of sweet, that he cares that much."

Sora just stood there, shocked. _How can she say that? It isn't her fault; it's his fault for being such a controlling bastard._ A million bad thoughts and dirty names came to her mind, but she didn't say any of them. None of them would make her or Mimi feel any better. None of them would fix Mimi's clothes, or her hair. None of them would mend her best friend's wounds…or her heart.

"Sora? Promise me you won't tell anyone. I don't want anyone to know about this…I'm ashamed of myself." Sora didn't know what to do. So, she did the stupidest thing she could have done. She nodded, and promised she wouldn't tell.

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**Right now, this is just Sora's life before she marries Matt…the _real_ story is coming up in about two or three chapters.**


	3. Problems and Mistakes

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon**

**Chapter Three: Problems and Mistakes**

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Mimi was at school the following Monday, looking fine. She looked normal; except it was clear to Sora that she was wearing a lot more cover-up than usual. Mimi's bruises were mostly on her stomach, thighs and shoulders, so the uniform hid them.

"Hey," Matt greeted the two girls when they walked into homeroom. Excluding Tai, they were all in that class.

"Hey," Sora said warmly. She didn't kiss or hug him for several reasons: Sora wasn't too sure whether they were "together" or not, and if they were, she wasn't ready to tell Mimi yet.

"Hi," Mimi said absentmindedly. She scanned the room for Paul, who was also in that class. Sora bit her lip as Mimi waved at him, and walked over to where he was.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked Sora.

"Huh? Nothing. I just…didn't finish my homework and I don't want Mrs. Totoba to get angry with me.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he said smiling. She raised an eyebrow, confused. She watched as Matt took out his answers and slid it onto Sora's desk.

"You're a lifesaver," she said thanking him.

When she finished copying the answers, she glanced to the back of the class, where Mimi was. She sat in the desk beside Paul, which was making Sora incredibly nervous. She relaxed a little when she saw Paul make Mimi laugh. She didn't relax enough to think Mimi was safe with Paul, but she was safe for now, and that was all that mattered.

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"So Meems, where'd you get off to the other night, at the party?" Tai asked during lunch. Sora held her breath, wondering what Mimi would say. She knew Mimi wouldn't tell the truth…but what else would she say?

"Um…" Mimi stopped short as Paul came and sat down. He put his arm around Mimi, infuriating Sora.

"What are we talking about?" Paul asked. _How dare he come to our table and sit down. How dare he put his arm around Mimi, like he isn't responsible for the bruises all over her _body, Sora thought. She saw Mimi stiffen up as Matt opened his mouth to talk.

"We just asked Meems where she went Friday night. She disappeared during the party…was she with you?" Matt asked. Mimi bit her lip as Paul tightened her grip on her shoulder. Sora couldn't take it anymore. She got up from the table, and walked away. She could hear footsteps following her. She spun around and saw Matt. "Hey, why'd you leave?"

"Oh…I just…needed to get something from my locker," she lied.

"Isn't your locker that way?" he asked, pointing in the other direction. She sighed: He was too quick for her.

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

"I know what's going on, Sora," he said. _Did Mimi tell him? No…she told me not to tell because she didn't want anyone else to know. So, what does he think he knows?_

"You do?"

"Yeah. You don't really care for Paul, do you?"

"I, uh…what makes you think that?" Sora wanted so desperately to tell him everything, but she couldn't.

"Well, I sure don't like him. I thought maybe you felt the same way. I just don't like the guy, there's just something about him…it doesn't sit well with me. He doesn't deserve Mimi. She's such a wonderful person, she deserves only the best," Matt said. He had a distant look in his eyes, and Sora felt a pang of jealousy. It was no secret anymore that Matt and Sora had feelings for each other. But, did Matt maybe like Mimi, too? The way he was talking definitely made Sora think he did.

"Yeah. I mean, no. I mean…" she trailed off. She didn't want to say she hated Paul, incase she said more than she wanted to say. She also didn't want to say anything incase it got back to Paul, and he took it out on Mimi.

"I understand," he said. Really, he had no idea, but it made Sora feel a little better. "Come on, let's go back to the table now."

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Sora sat in third period science, talking to Mimi who was sitting in the desk beside her. Mimi normally sat there, but during the test the class had to move to their "test desks". Their teacher was handing back the tests they had taken on Friday, and both girls were incredibly nervous.

"I'm scared, Sora," Mimi said quietly.

"Me too, Meems." Neither girl was talking about the test, and both knew it. The teacher walked by, and passed their tests back.

"Very well done, Mimi," the teacher said as she walked by. Mimi smiled to herself as she looked over her test.

"93 per cent? Way to go, Meems!" Sora congratulated her friend.

"What did you get?" Mimi asked. Sora held up her paper, showing an 82 per cent. "Good job, Sor!" The two girls chatted as the teacher handed back the rest of the tests.

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The last bell of the day had finally rung, and Sora and Mimi were at their lockers.

"Okay, I'll see you later," Sora yelled as she ran in one direction, Mimi in the other. Mimi had cheerleading, and Sora had tennis practice. Sora glanced back at Mimi, who had disappeared around the corner. She didn't see where she was going, and whom she was about to run into…

"Hey, watch it," Paul said angrily.

"Oh, sorry Paul," Sora said. She tried to act normal, like she did before he hit Mimi. It wasn't easy, and Paul must have sensed a difference. He shoved her into the lockers.

"If you say anything, I'll make you regret it," he growled. "Got it?" Sora nodded, and he backed off. He walked away, leaving her alone at the lockers. She kept walking to the tennis courts, a little faster than usual. But something was different than every other time she had gone to tennis practice: This time, she was shaking like crazy.

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Sora stood in the parking lot by her car, waiting for Mimi. She was 5 minutes late. Although it was usual for Mimi to be late, something wasn't right about it this time. Worried, Sora ran back into the school. She ran down the hall, and pushed open the door to the girls change room, where the cheerleaders changed.

"Mimi? Mimi!" Sora yelled as she saw her. There was Mimi, her best friend in the world, crouched in the corner crying.

"Sora? Oh, thank God you're here! It was so terrible," she whispered. Sora nodded. She knew what had happened. Paul tracked her down after he threatened Sora. She wrapped her arms around Mimi, hugging her gently.

"Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not Sora. I'm such a bad girlfriend. I should never have told you about what Paul did to me. It wasn't his fault, it was mine." Sora shook her head, but Mimi couldn't see it. She just sobbed into Sora's shoulder.

"It's okay, you're safe now."

Sora learned something that day: Make-up may hide cuts and bruises on her body, but it can't hide the cuts and bruises Paul put on her heart.

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**Do me a favour, just don't review. I really don't care about what a "terrible" writer I am, and I'm sick of hearing it. I want to make it clear I'm writing this for me, and not for people who don't feel good about themselves, so they have to insult everyone else to feel better.**


	4. Broken Dreams

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon. **

**Chapter Four: Broken Dreams  
**……………………………………………………………

The days came and went. One eventful day at Matt's concert, several things happened. Sora and Matt officially became an item, and Mimi finally dumped Paul. Now, five months later, Sora and her friends were finishing up their final year of high school.

The "gang" had basically fallen apart. They didn't hang out like they used to. Things had definitely changed in the past few months. Mimi and Sora didn't hang out much anymore. Actually, they barely even spoke…which definitely bothered Sora. So, with about a week of school left, Sora confronted Mimi about it.

"Mimi? Can I talk to you?" she asked after school. Mimi just looked at her, and nodded. They walked outside, and sat on the steps. Nobody else was around.

"What do you need?" Mimi asked in a distant voice.

"I want to know what's going on with you, Meems. You've been so distant lately. You don't hang out with us anymore. I see you in the halls, and you don't even look at me. We used to be best friends, and it's like I don't even know you anymore. I hate that."

"Oh. I didn't realize you felt like that," Mimi said. Sora couldn't believe it…Mimi sounded so cold and uncaring.

"Well I do. Meems, high school is over in less than a week. I don't want it to end up that we just go our separate ways. I want us to be close like we used to." Sora watched as Mimi's expression didn't change. She still had that cold look in her eyes.

"I…I don't think that can happen. Not anymore, at least." Sora's face fell as Mimi spoke. She couldn't believe it. Just a few months ago, they were pretty much inseparable. Now, they were practically strangers.

"What? Why not?" Sora demanded.

"Because," Mimi said, tears in her eyes, "things aren't the same. I see you with _him_ and it just kills me."

"What?" Sora whispered. _What is Mimi talking about? Who's 'him'…who could that possibly be? Oh… _"Do you mean Matt?" Mimi shut her eyes, and nodded.

"Who else? I see you with him, and my heart just breaks. Did you know that I liked him? Did you know, or did you only care about yourself?" she demanded.

"Mimi, what the hell are you talking about? Of course I care about you, but I had no idea that—"

"—Oh would you quit lying! You just don't want me to be happy! I had a great thing going with Paul, and you ruined that. It's because of you that we broke up, and it's because of you that I'm alone," Mimi shrieked.

"Oh, you're right. I'm so, _so_ sorry that I didn't just leave you in an abusive relationship!" Sora screamed back.

"It wasn't abusive! He didn't mean to do it…it was my fault, the first time."

"Exactly: the _first_ time. What about all the other times, Meems? What about the time after cheerleading practice when I found you in the change room?"

"That was because _you_ made him angry Sora! It may have been my fault the first time, but it was _your _fault after that, Sora. It was all your fault, and don't you dare say it wasn't!" Mimi turned around and ran away from Sora. Sora just stood there, shocked. She knew that Mimi wasn't being logical. It wasn't Sora's fault, and it wasn't Mimi's fault. It was Paul's fault, and no one else's. She wanted to run after her, to scream at her 'how dare you pin this all on me', but she couldn't. She had to accept that no matter what, Mimi would never be her best friend again.

……………………………………………………………

"It was horrible. My best friend, well, _ex_-best friend, hates me!" Sora sobbed into Matt's shoulder than evening.

"She doesn't hate you, Sora. She's just angry. She'll come around," he said trying to comfort her. She had told him everything about her encounter with Mimi, and Matt was pretty surprised. He had no idea Mimi had still felt that way about him. He said _still_ because he had known that she liked him, but that was quite a while ago.

In fact, he never told Sora, but he and Mimi had dated briefly in the tenth grade, two years ago. They had kept it from their friends because they weren't sure if it was going to last, and they didn't want things to change. When it didn't work out, Matt was disappointed, but assumed it was for the best. Ever since, he still had feelings for Mimi, but he didn't really think anything of it. But now…_no,_ he thought,_ I'm with Sora, and I'm happy. I love her and—wait, I love her? Do I love her? Yeah, I do love her._

"Sora?"

"Yeah," she said, her head still buried in her shoulder.

"I love you," he said. She pulled away, and looked in his eyes.

"I love you, too."

……………………………………………………………

That was fifteen years ago, and things haven't really changed much. Sora and Matt had gotten married, and they had two kids: a boy and a girl.

Sora and Matt hadn't talked to the rest of the "gang" in about…fifteen years. In fact, the last time Mimi and Sora spoke was the day they had gotten into that huge fight outside the school. The last time they talked to Tai was a couple months after graduation. Tai had gone to a different college than them, so they e-mailed each other back and forth to stay in touch. Eventually, the e-mails just stopped coming.

Sora was perfectly content with her life. She loved her kids very much, but she always felt that something was missing. She knew what that 'something' was, too. She had many questions that she needed answers to, so she had decided to go to a psychic.

"You've had a good life, but you are still confused about many things," the psychic had told her. Sora nodded, urging her to keep going. "You're saddened, because you have lost someone you care deeply for."

"Yes, yes I have. I've lost several people that I loved," Sora explained.

"No, that isn't what I mean. You've lost one person in particular. One person who holds the key to your happiness. You're afraid that you can never be happy again, unless you are with this person," the psychic told her.

"How did you know? What else can you tell me? Anything?" Sora asked, bewildered.

"Your struggles are not over. In fact, you're about to face the biggest one of your life. Be strong; be ready. Several lives depend on what happens next."

"What do you mean 'what happens next'? Whose lives depend on it? What does that _mean_?" Sora demanded.

"Go now, I've said all I can say. Just remember: With happiness, comes sacrifice. With actions come consequences. With change, comes responsibility." Sora opened her mouth to protest, but stopped. She nodded, and got up.

"Thank you," she whispered as she walked to the door. She stopped, and turned back to the woman. "Everything will be alright, won't it?" The woman just shook her head.

"I can only see the future, not the past."

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Sora got to bed rather late that night. When she got home, she received some horrible news from Matt. While she was at the psychic's, Tai had called their house. Apparently, Mimi had been missing for a week, and her body had just turned up. Out of the three of them, Sora took the news the hardest. She couldn't believe that her best friend, the girl she grew up with, had been murdered. Not only that, but she was a mother, too. She had a son…he was only six. She was living in America, and had a husband. _She had an entire family…that's so unfair,_ Sora thought as she cried into Matt's shoulder. She went to her bedroom, and shut the door. She didn't want her children to see her like that: she was a mess. She sobbed into her pillow as Matt made some calls. She cried for what must have been three hours. Exhausted, she couldn't cry anymore. She got in her bed, not even changing into her pajamas, and waited for sleep to come. But it just wouldn't.

'I can only see the future, not the past' 

_What does that mean?_ Sora thought as she lay in bed. Although she was incredibly tired, she _couldn't_ fall asleep. Her mind was running overtime, and she was at its mercy. She kept thinking about the psychic, about her life, about Mimi.

'Your struggles are not over. In fact, you're about to face the biggest one of your life' 

_Did the psychic know about Mimi, and how she had…_Sora stopped. She couldn't bring herself to think about how Mimi had been killed. She still hadn't accepted the truth…maybe she never would.

'Be strong; be ready. Several lives depend on what happens next'

What was going to happen next? Several lives depend on it, what can that mean? Sora was now even more confused than she was when she left the psychic's. She tossed the conversation around in her head, back and forth, back and forth. She couldn't make sense of any of it.

Finally, at around three in the morning, she drifted off to sleep.

……………………………………………………………

"Sora…Sora…" she could hear a voice calling. She knew the voice…but she couldn't think of whom it belonged to. She looked around, and saw that she was floating. Everything was black…she had to be dreaming. She could see a faint object in the distance getting closer and closer. As it got closer, the calling got louder. Finally, the object was right in front of her. Sora could see that it wasn't an object at all. It was an older version of Mimi.

"Mimi?" Sora choked. The figure nodded.

"Hello, Sora," Mimi said, smiling slightly.

"What are you doing here? You…you're dead," she whispered. Mimi's face became very serious.

"I know. Sora, you have to help me." Sora just looked at her, confused.

"Help you? How can I help you? You're _dead_!"

"That's true. But it doesn't have to happen that way." Sora saw a faint gleam of hope in Mimi's eyes.

"What? What do you mean 'it doesn't have to happen that way'? What other way is there?" None of this was making any sense to her.

"I can't tell you that."

"Oh." Sora didn't really know what to say. There were so many things she wanted to ask Mimi, but she couldn't seem to ask them. Finally, she gave in. "Mimi…how did you die? Who…who killed you?" Mimi looked Sora in the eye, a distant and sad look on her face.

"My husband. He was an abuser, just like Paul was. I was too weak to get out of it, Sora. So many times, I wanted to get help, but I just couldn't. That was what eventually cost me my life."

"I'm so sorry. Why didn't you contact me? I could have helped you!" Sora said, tears in her eyes.

"I'm contacting you now. You have to save me, Sora. Please, save me."

"Save you? Mimi, I'm sorry but I _can't_ save you. It isn't humanly possible!"

"Just know this: I'm counting on you, Sora. I need you, and I believe in you."

"What? Why me? Why not Matt, or Tai, or _anyone _else?" Sora couldn't understand it. It was only a dream, but it was more than that. This wasn't Sora's subconscious conjuring up Mimi, Mimi had reached out to her from beyond the grave.

"Because, you're the only one that can do it. You have the gift, Sora. Use it."

"What are you talking about? I don't have a gift, Mimi, I don't!" Mimi's figure began moving away from her.

"You do, Sora. Use it. Save me, save us all," she pleaded. Sora shook her head.

"No! Come back, Mimi! Come back!" But it was too late, and Mimi was too far away. She could just hear Mimi's final plea.

"Save me, Sora. Go back to the past. Use your gift. Only you can do it. Go back to the past. Use your gift. Only you can help me now. Go back to the past. Go back to the past. I need you. Help me, Sora. It doesn't have to happen this way…" Mimi's words echoed over and over in Sora's head.

……………………………………………………………


	5. I've Been Here Before, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.**

**I was really proud of the last chapter, and now the story will finally move along. **

**Thanks for reviewing, I'm sorry that I said not to, but I was happy that a few of you did. I respected your opinions. I don't mind if you review and challenge my writing, as long as you don't insult it. Asking questions helps me because I can maybe include an explanation in the next chapter, like I tried to do here. If you still have questions about my story please look in my profile, I think it will clear up a few things. I want to thank KazamaFangirl for asking some questions (in a nice way I might add), and you in particular might want to look at my profile.**

To clear some things up:  
**Mimi _does_ live in Japan for the beginning, but like it said in the last chapter, she wound up living in America. I still made her move, just not until it was suitable for the story…sorry if this mixed you up.**

**As for the non-Japanese names for Paul, Brad and Tom, I used the English names. If you're wondering, the real names are **Po-ru, Buraddo **and** Tomasu**, according to the google site I found. I, personally, preferred to use the English names. They aren't American; they're Japanese…just like Matt is Japanese. If you really want I'll use their Japanese names, although they aren't really in the story after this chapter, anyway.**

**Chapter Five: I've Been Here Before, Part 1  
**…………………………………………………………… 

"Sora, wake up, you're late!" Sora could hear a voice calling to her.

"What? No, Matt, I'm not getting up. Please just let me sleep," Sora said as she pulled the pillow over her head. But something didn't feel right about it. She wasn't in her house, in her bed. Even her pillow seemed different.

"Matt, huh? Sorry to wake you up but you're late for school, kiddo." Sora opened her eyes, and threw the pillow off her head. She came face to face with her mother. She looked around, and found herself in her old bed. She looked at the clock, and saw that school started in eight minutes.

"What? Wait…how did I get here?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was she still dreaming? Her mother pulled her out of bed.

"Sora, you _have_ to get ready, or you'll be late for class! Now, go!" Sora decided to 'play along' and went to get ready. She entered the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. She didn't see her reflection. She saw herself, when she was eighteen. She watched as her reflection morphed into the image of Mimi she had seen in her dreams.

"Save me, Sora," it whispered. Her eyes widened as she began to make sense of things in her head. She blinked, and the reflection turned back into the eighteen year old Sora.

_'Go back to the past...' _So that meant that Sora had been transported to the past! She thought about what the psychic had said.

_'Several lives depend on what happens next.'_Does that meanshe has a chance to save Mimi?

"Oh my God," she whispered.

……………………………………………………………

Sora ran down the hall that day, wearing her favourite skirt. She came to a sigh saying "wet floor" and slowed down. Remembering what happened last time, she went around it, and rushed to class. _No way this is happening. This is all just a bad dream_ she tried to convince herself. It wasn't working too well, and she knew it. The late bell went off _just_ as she made it to the classroom.

"You're lucky, Ms. Takenouchi," her teacher, Mrs. Totoba warned. Sora nodded, and smiled to herself. One problem she had avoided. As she hurried to her desk, she glanced around the room. There was Matt. She smiled at him, and sat down. She looked behind her, and saw Mimi. She almost jumped right out of the chair when she saw her smile. It had been so long since she had saw Mimi (excluding her dream), and even longer since she saw her happy. She looked beside her, and saw Paul. She shuddered, and turned around. She would deal with him later. She looked out the doorway to the hall, and saw Tai walk by. She waved, her heart skipping a beat. He grinned and waved back before hurrying off to his own class.

……………………………………………………………

The day was like a blur. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she was eighteen again. She couldn't believe she was re-living her life, but she was. And that meant she had to do it responsibly. Every time she saw Matt, she couldn't kiss him because they weren't an item yet. Every time she saw Paul, she couldn't slap him for hurting Mimi because he hadn't yet. Every time she saw Mimi, she couldn't hug her and say 'I hate that we lost touch' because they hadn't yet. Every time she saw Tai, she couldn't dwell on the fact that she lost him because she hadn't yet.

They sat at the lunch table that afternoon, and Sora was in a daze. She was making casual conversation with Tai, trying to remember how the rest of the day went. She remembered pretty well…this definitely wasn't a day she had forgotten.

"Sora, can I ask you something?" Tai asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Sora looked at him, and nodded. She wondered what he could have to say, since he looked incredibly nervous. His calm, cool, collected composure was shot to hell. He opened his mouth to speak, just as Matt came to the table and sat down beside Sora.

"Hey, are you guys coming to the party tonight?" He asked.

"Sure are," Sora said. She threw a glance at Tai, who hadn't said anything. He looked disappointed about something, but Sora didn't know what. She just went back to her thoughts again, marveling at how one small action had already slightly changed her day. She had been on time to class, which meant she didn't get in trouble and Tai didn't have to bail her out. It also meant that at lunch, Sora and Tai had a different conversation, since she had no reason to thank him for saving her. Sora didn't know for sure, but she had a feeling the new conversation would have been very _interesting_ if Matt hadn't come in when he did.

"I'm so dead!" Mimi complained as she and Paul sat down, bringing Sora back to reality.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine on the science test," Sora assured her. Mimi's eyes widened.

"How did you know that was what I was gong to say?"

"I just had a hunch," Sora said. _More like you already said it, fifteen years ago_ she thought to herself.

"Well anyway, I'm _not_ going to do fine. I really don't know the material, Sora." Sora shook her head.

"Trust me, Mimi. You'll be _fine_. I predict a 93 per cent in your near future." Mimi shook her head sadly.

"No way I'll _ever_ get that high."

"You want to make a bet?" Sora asked.

"Fine," Mimi said.

"Twenty bucks says you get a 93," Sora said. They shook hands. Sure, it was a dirty thing to do, but if Sora had to re-live one of the worst days of her life, she could at least make some money off it. Besides, she _was_ going through all of this for Mimi. Suddenly, Sora remembered about the party, and about Paul. "Meems? I need to talk to you," she said, standing up. Mimi nodded, and was about to follow her when the bell rang.

"Oh, we'll have to talk later. We gotta get to science," Mimi said. _No, it has to happen now. If it doesn't, I won't talk to you until it's too late. _But she couldn't argue without Mimi knowing something was up, so she just agreed.

……………………………………………………………

"Meems, I need to talk to you about something…and it's really important," Sora said on their way to science.

"Sure, what is it?" Mimi asked, still walking.

"Can you just stop for a sec, this is more important than getting to class on time." Mimi looked at her, and stopped. She could see the look of determination and seriousness in Sora's eyes, and figured it must have meant a lot to her best friend.

"What is it?" Sora took a deep breath, not sure of how to phrase it. She didn't want to fight with Mimi, but she needed to make her see the truth. She knew it would take some work, but she was fine with that.

"Meems…it's about Paul. He isn't right for you! He's a horrible guy and he treats you like dirt, can't you see that?" Mimi's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about? Paul loves me…" she trailed off.

"No, he doesn't. Mimi, I know you, and I know the way you deserve to be treated. Paul doesn't treat you that way. Think about it…I'm sure you've noticed it before," Sora said, hoping Mimi wouldn't freak out and storm off.

"Well…I don't know. I guess sometimes he _does_ act like a jerk, but that's just him. He _does_ care for me, I know that, Sora." Sora shook her head.

"Mimi, I hate to say this but Paul is an abusive person. I'm only telling you this because you're my best friend and I don't want to see you hurt. Trust me, Mimi…he's going to hit you," she said solemnly.

"What are you talking about? I mean, sure, he's a little aggressive sometimes, but he would never hit me!" Mimi said defensively. Sora shook her head furiously, trying to make Mimi understand. _Think…how can you make her believe?_ Sora got an idea.

"Mimi, after science today, we're gonna walk down the same hall we always do. Except this time, we're going to meet a guy named Brad. You're going to bump into him, and he picks your books up for you. You two really hit it off, and Paul sees everything. He gets really jealous and at the party tonight…" she trailed off.

"Whatever, come on let's get to class," Mimi said, completely blowing her off. Sora nodded, and didn't protest. She knew Mimi would believe her soon enough.

They walked into class a minute late, but the teacher didn't mind. She was the easy-going type that every student loved to have. They walked to their 'test-desks' and wrote the test.

……………………………………………………………

"I hate science…it's my least favourite class _ever_," Mimi complained as she and Sora walked down the hall to their fourth period classes. Sora smiled, remembering what was about to happen next. As Mimi turned the corner, a boy bumped into her, knocking her over. Her books fell to the floor with her.

"Sorry," he said, helping her up. He collected her books, just like Sora said he would.

"Oh, um…that's okay." Mimi stammered. She couldn't believe what was happening…it was exactly what Sora had predicted. She had to be sure, though. "I'm Mimi," she said.

"Brad," he said, smiling. Mimi almost fell over again. "I gotta get to class. Hey—are you going to Tom's party tonight?" She nodded slowly, thinking that maybe it would be better if she didn't go anymore. If Sora was right about this, then that meant... "Well…maybe I'll see you there then," he said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe," Mimi said, still not sure if she really would attend or not. He waved goodbye, and she waved back. She threw a worried glance at Sora when Brad was gone. "How did you know…?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Mimi. But do me a favour, and look behind me." Mimi nodded, and looked over Sora's shoulder. She saw Paul standing there, a strange expression on his face.

"I'm going to break up with him," Mimi said quickly. Sora smiled, relieved.

"Thank God." Mimi walked toward him. "Wait, where are you going?" Sora asked, pulling her back.

"I'm doing it now, in a public place," Mimi assured her. Sora nodded, and let her go. She stood there protectively, making sure nothing would happen to her best friend. She watched as Mimi gently broke up with him, not wanting to anger him. She saw his cold expression as he nodded, and walked off in the other direction without even saying goodbye. Mimi smiled and walked back, thanking God that she got out while she could.

"All done?" Sora asked when she returned.

"Yeah. Sora…I don't know how you knew about Brad, but you did. Which meant that you must have known about Paul, too. I just want to say thank you, for having the courage to tell me your real opinion about Paul."

……………………………………………………………

Sora sat in fourth period, bored out of her mind. She could feel her eyes shutting, but she shook herself awake. She remembered what happened last time, and she didn't want to get detention again. Because she had tennis practice the following Monday, her teacher had re-scheduled her detention to Friday, making it even worse for Sora. She forced herself to keep her eyes open, and listen to her teacher…a very hard task.

She had remembered about her cell phone, and shut it off before she came to class. She was having a great day, considering everything that happened the last time she lived it. She couldn't wait to go home and get to the party, because she knew everything would be okay now. Finally, the bell rang, and every piled out like zombies. Sora went home, and took a nap before she got ready.

……………………………………………………………

**I hope everyone liked it, and it made sense. If it didn't, I'll try to clear it up, but I think it was pretty self-explanatory. **


	6. I've Been Here Before, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.**

**Chapter Six: I've Been Here Before, Part 2**

…………………………………………………………

"Sora, come on, let's go! Mimi urged Sora as she went down the stairs to the front door.

"Meems, are you _absolutely_ sure you want to do this? I mean…I'd totally understand if you just wanted to stay home. We could rent a few movies and have a girls night in," Sora suggested. Mimi smiled appreciatively, but shook her head.

"No, I want to go." Sora nodded, and followed her down the stairs.

"Okay, if that's what you want." Mimi nodded, and slipped on her jacket. "We're going now, mom!"

"Bye! Not too late," her mom yelled back, just like she had done before.

"Okay. Bye!"

…………………………………………………………

Sora and Mimi walked into the house, and looked around. Mimi stopped, searching for Matt and Tai, but Sora just kept walking. She knew exactly where to go, since she had been through this before. Even though it had happened several years ago, Sora was impressed at how detailed her memory was. She could even remember what Mat and Tai were wearing…maybe when she went back in time, her memory improved, in order for her to do her job better.

"Where are you going?" Mimi yelled over the music.

"To talk to Matt and Tai. Aren't you coming?" Sora asked. Mimi nodded, and followed her. They weaved in and out, avoiding people. They walked through two rooms before Sora came to rest directly in front of the two boys.

"Sora? What's going on with you today?" Mimi asked, amazed. She couldn't figure out what was going on with her best friend. She seemed to know what was happening before it actually happened. While it sure came in handy, it was starting to creep her out.

"I…I just figured that Tai would be near the food," Sora lied. She didn't want to tell Mimi the truth. Not only would her friend not believe her, but it might inadvertently affect the future.

_'Just remember: With happiness, comes sacrifice. With actions come consequences. With change, comes responsibility.'_

The psychic's words had echoed in her head all day long, and Sora had definitely taken them to heart. She knew that the slightest mistake might change everything in her future life, and she didn't want that…right?

…………………………………………………………

Sora and Tai sat in the corner of the living room, on the couch. Matt and Mimi had wandered off, talking to various friends. They were laughing and joking about different things, all in all having a great time together. Sora smiled. She had forgotten how fun he was, and how much she loved to be around him. Although, technically, eighteen-year-old Sora had seen him the day before, it had actually been fifteen years since they talked. She had missed him so much it hurt. Sora began feeling a little strange. She scolded herself for drinking so much punch, remembering it had been spiked.

"Sora? I need to tell you something," Tai said. He sounded nervous. _Maybe this is what he wanted to tell me at lunch this afternoon,_ Sora thought.

"Okay. What is it, Tai?" She looked into his chocolate eyes, and melted. _What am I doing? I love Matt! I'm married to Matt, and we have a family. I'm happy._ But that wasn't true. Eighteen year old Sora wasn't married, or in love with, anyone. Not yet, anyway.

"I…um…Lately, I've kind of had…" he trailed off. Sora raised an eyebrow, and urged him to keep going. Not once did they break eye contact. "I've had feelings for you," he whispered. She just stared at him, not knowing what to do. The way she saw it, she had two options:

Option one: She could shoot him down, and eventually have her family with Matt. Her life would be exactly the same, just the way she liked it. She was happy that way…wasn't she?

Option two: She could return his feelings, which she did, and _they_ would be together. But, was she willing to give up her life just because she thought that she might, _maybe_, _somehow_, love Tai?

"Oh," she said finally. She hadn't meant to stay silent so long…she had probably hurt Tai's feelings now.

"It's okay that you don't feel the same way. I just…I just thought you should know." He got up from the couch, about to walk away, when she stopped him.

"Tai, wait. I…" she didn't know what to say. She was still going back and forth on her feelings. "I have feelings for you, too," she said silently. She _did _have feelings, and she couldn't ignore them. The next thing she knew, Tai was kissing her, and she found herself kissing him back. Every thought of her life with Matt was completely out of her mind. All she could think about was Tai, and the moment. She snapped out of it, remembering her husband and family, but didn't stop kissing him. Her vision was cloudy and she couldn't think straight…probably from the punch. _It's okay; one little kiss won't change anything, will it?_ She thought.

…………………………………………………………

Sora went to bed that night incredibly tired and confused. She had kissed Tai…what did that mean? _Probably nothing,_ she told herself. She felt a pang of sadness when she realized her life would be back to normal when she woke up.

She lay in bed, running all the different scenarios through her head. None of them were possible. She and Mimi wouldn't stay close because Mimi still had feelings for Matt, and that was eventually the reason they had drifted apart in the first place. She wouldn't stay in touch with Tai because things were definitely awkward between them, since she was going to wind up with Matt, not him.

She wouldn't be married to Tai, because…it just wouldn't work out that way, would it? No, it couldn't happen that way. One little kiss wouldn't change anything. Although, one little kiss with Matt sure had made an impact on her life.

She started to get worried, thinking that maybe when she woke up, her life would be gone. _But would that be so bad?_ She asked herself. _I mean, the reason I went to the psychic's in the first place was because I had questions about Tai. Maybe the reason I came back here was to fix what happened between the two of us…_ she shook her head, reminding herself the real reason she had come back: Mimi.

She took comfort in knowing that she had done one good thing that day: She saved Mimi. Since she never had an abusive relationship with Paul, there was no doubt in Sora's mind whether or not Mimi would be in another one. If she was, she knew Mimi would be strong enough to get out, just like she had done with Paul. She smiled, realizing her friend's life was all that mattered. So what if she never spoke to Mimi again? As long as her friend was alive, safe, and happy, what else mattered? Yeah, Mimi was safe, and her task was done.

Sora drifted off to sleep; praying when she woke up she'd be home. She didn't know what home she truly wanted, but she knew that wherever she would be, she'd be happy.

…………………………………………………………

"Sora…Sora…" she could hear a voice calling. This time, she knew whose it was.

"Mimi? Where are you, Mimi?" Mimi's figure appeared before her. The dream was _exactly_ like it had been the night before.

"I'm right here. Thank you, Sora. You did it: You saved me." Sora smiled. She was relieved she had done a good job.

"I'm glad that I could help you, Mimi. But, if you don't mind me asking, where will I be when I wake up? I'll get my old life back, right?" Sora began to get very worried, as the expression on Mimi's face suddenly got very serious.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that. Not enough has taken place for you to return home, Sora. You haven't completed your task yet. You haven't fulfilled your destiny."

"What are you talking about? I haven't completed my task? You're safe, aren't you? Why else am I here, Mimi? Why else am I here!" Sora screamed at Mimi's figure, getting more confused every second.

"You came back here for many reasons, Sora. Helping me one only one," Mimi explained.

"What are the other ones, then? Tell me, so I can go home! I just want to go home…" she said, tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, but you don't have a home." Sora's eyes widened, not sure what that meant. "You're choice hasn't been made, you're future is still undecided."

"What? Mimi, you aren't making any sense!" Mimi nodded understandingly, and began to explain.

"What happened before you returned to your childhood?" Mimi asked.

"I found out that you had died," Sora said. Mimi shook her head.

"No, before that. Where did you go?"

"I went to visit a psychic. What does any of this have to do with my future?" Sora asked, not getting the point.

"You went to the psychic because you wanted answers. More specifically, you wanted her to tell you whether or not you made the right choice," Mimi said. Sora nodded: That _was_ why she was there. "You wanted to know if you had made a mistake, marrying Matt. Isn't that right, Sora?"

"Yeah, it is. I wanted to know if I would have been better off with Tai."

"Well, what do you think?"

"I…I don't know." That was the truth, Sora _didn't _know. "Sometimes, I think about my life and I think 'I'm happy, I'm fine the way things are', you know? But sometimes, I think about all the things that could have been…and I hate that. I want to _know_ that I made the right choice; that I'm _supposed_ to be with Matt. But, I don't think I am! It's like, you always have something that you think: 'what if…' but I don't have that. I _know_ what my life would be like if I was with Tai. I think…I think I would be happier."

"Is that your wish?" Mimi asked. Sora froze. _Wish? What does she mean 'wish'?_ Sora wondered. _Does that mean if I say yes, I'll be with Tai when I wake up? I want that…right? But what about my life…do I really want to give it up?_

"I…I don't know, Mimi. I just don't know."

"Very well. Sora, you have done me a great favour, and because of that, I will return it. Your soul was conflicted, undecided as to where your heart lies. Before you can return home, you need to be _sure _that place is truly your home. You will have one last chance to complete your task, and decide your future. Goodbye, Sora," Mimi said as her figure disappeared in to the distance.

"Wait! What do you mean 'one more chance'? One more chance at what! What's going to happen to me, Mimi?" Sora screamed. But it was no use: Just like the previous dream, Mimi was already gone.

"When you wake up…all will be clear, Sora," Mimi whispered. And just like that, Sora was woken up.

…………………………………………………………

**Sorry if this was kind of hard to follow, but it was originally longer and I had to make it a bit shorter.**


	7. Time For a Choice

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon. **

**Chapter Seven: Time For a Choice  
**…………………………………………………………

"Sora, wake up, you're late!" A voice called, waking Sora. _Oh God,_ she thought to herself, _where could I possibly be now? _She opened her eyes, and saw her mother.

"What?" She whispered, more confused than ever. Why am I back here? Mimi was wrong, _nothing_ is clear now that I'm awake!

"I said you're going to be late. School starts in eight minutes!" Sora's mother cried. Sora's eyes widened as she looked at the calendar on her wall.

"But…no, not again," she cried, shaking her head.

"What are you talking about? Sweetie, it was just a dream, calm down," her mother said, trying to sooth her.

"Yeah, you're right...just a dream." But Sora knew it wasn't a dream. Nothing had been a dream…it had all happened. Now, she was _re_-re-living this day! Did that mean Mimi was still with Paul, and she had to do everything over again? She sighed, and jumped out of bed. She ran to the bathroom, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She saw herself, at eighteen. She stared at it, waiting for it to turn into Mimi, like it had before. But nothing happened. Sighing, she got ready and ran out the door to school.

……………………………………………………………

She raced down the hall that day, wearing the same outfit she had worn the 'day' before. But she soon found that things were very different. She ran down the hall, but didn't come to a 'wet floor' sign. _What's going on?_ She thought as she continued to her class. She got into class, and stopped dead in her tracks. Where was Mrs. Totoba? In her teacher's place, was another woman, much younger.

"Good morning, please take your seat," the woman said. Sora nodded, still incredibly confused, and sat down. She glanced at Mimi, who was behind her, beside Paul. Mimi waved at her, and continued talking to the girl on the opposite side of her. Sora knew something was up. The last time she re-lived the day, Mimi was talking to Paul. So why was everything different this time?

"You okay?" Matt asked. Sora nodded calmly, though she was freaking out on the inside.

"Hello, class. I'm Ms. Chang and I'm you're substitute for today. Mrs. Totoba has come down with the flu, so I'll be filling in today and all of next week. _What? This isn't possible, is it?_

Ms. Chang continued on with the lesson, but Sora wasn't really paying attention. After a half hour, they were assigned some seatwork. Sora couldn't take it anymore…she had to get out! If she didn't, she'd go crazy. She raised her hand.

"Yes, um…Sora is it?" Ms. Chang said.

"Yes. May I go to the washroom?" Ms. Chang nodded, and went back to her work. Sora got up from her seat, and practically tore out of the room. Matt watched as she left, and raised his own hand.

"Yes?"

"May I be excused as well? It's an emergency," Matt said.

"Very well." Matt nodded appreciatively and ran out after Sora.

……………………………………………………………

"Hey, Sora, wait up," Tai said as he saw her walk down the hall. She stopped, and waited for him to catch up.

"Hey, Tai," she said.

"What's up?" Tai asked, nervously.

"Nothing. Just couldn't focus in class…I needed to go for a walk," she explained. He nodded, and opened his mouth to talk, but changed his mind. He looked her in the eyes, and raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay? If something's on your mind, you can tell me. You know that, right?" Tai asked. Sora smiled, and nodded. He was always so sweet and considerate.

"I'm…" she was about to say she was fine, but stopped. The hallway started to spin, and she grabbed onto Tai to steady herself. Then everything went black.

……………………………………………………………

"Sora…Sora…" she could hear Mimi calling her. _Oh no, not again,_ she thought.

"Mimi? Why am I here…and why is everything different this time? I don't get it. Please help me! Why am I here?" Sora begged.

"I cannot answer that. You're right: Everything _is_ different this time. This is because you earned it, Sora," Mimi said when she appeared.

"Earned it? What do you mean 'earned it'?"

"You helped me greatly, and I am forever in your debt. I did all I could to get you home where you belonged, but as I said before, it wasn't possible. You must re-live this day once more, in order to decide where your future lies. But, because you had done so well, and did so much work, it was not forgotten. The eighteen-year-old version of myself is no longer dating Paul. In fact, she doesn't even know Paul…he's just a student in her homeroom. In order for this to take place, several changes in time had to occur. This is why you will notice some inconsistencies in your day. I assure you that they will have no ramifications as to your future," Mimi explained.

"Oh. Well, thank you, I guess. But how can I choose where my future will be? I don't know…I just don't know. Can't you help me, Mimi?" Sora asked. Mimi shook her head solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Sora, but I can't. This decision is yours, and yours alone. And I'm afraid that you'll have to make it right now." Sora's eyes widened.

"Right now? Mimi, you know I can't do that!"

"But you must, Sora. When you wake up, both of your choices shall be there. It is up to you to choose the one best for you."

"I…I understand," Sora said, giving in. "Mimi? Since there's a chance that we won't be friends in the future, I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me, and I hate myself for hurting you all those years ago. I never wanted to lose touch, it just kind of happened. I love you, Meems," Sora whispered. Mimi nodded, and smiled.

"When I was about to die, I thought about many things. I thought about my son, and my parents. But I also thought about you. My dying wish was that I could go back, and make things right between us. Although I cannot do that, _you_ can. I had faith in you went I sent you here, and I still do now. No matter what decision you make, fight for us. I'll come around, I promise you that. Don't give up, Sora," Mimi pleaded.

"Never," Sora said, tears flowing down her cheek. "Mimi…how will I know that I made the right choice?"

"When you wake up, you'll just know. To make the right choice, just follow your heart. Let the good outweigh the bad, and be true to yourself. That's all you'll need. I'm afraid that within 24 hours of your choice, any recollection of you returning to the past will have disappeared. You'll also forget everything that happened to you, should you choose to change your destiny. Goodbye, and good luck." Sora watched as Mimi's figure morphed into the psychic.

"With happiness, comes sacrifice. With actions come consequences. With change, comes responsibility." Sora nodded, realizing for the first time what that truly meant. She was ready to make her choice.

"I'm ready to go back," Sora said as the darkness melted away, and she found herself in the nurse's office.

"…I don't know. She was acting really weird all morning. I thought something was up, but when I asked her about it, she said she was fine," Matt said. He sounded worried.

"Yeah. When I saw her in the hall, I definitely noticed she was acting differently. It was like she was a different person. Hey wait, her eyes are open!" Tai said, sounding equally as worried.

"Hey boys," Sora said, smiling. She sat up, since she was laying flat on the bed.

"Are you okay?" they both asked at the same time. She laughed, and nodded.

"Sorry if I gave you a scare before. I think I was just really tired," she lied. She had concluded that she hadn't really passed out. Mimi had made her lose consciousness, in order to contact her. Either way, it didn't matter now. "How long was I out?"

"Pretty long. It's almost lunch time, actually," Tai said.

"Oh. Have you two been here the whole time?"

"Well…Tai has. My second period teacher wouldn't let me out of class," Matt confessed. Sora smiled. She knew he felt terrible that he couldn't have been there the entire time. He was probably going crazy sitting in that class…Matt was always so kind and caring.

"No problem, I understand." She turned to Tai. "You're teacher actually let you out of class?" Tai shook his head.

"Well, yeah, if you don't show up at all…" Tai said sheepishly. Sora cracked a smile.

"You mean you skipped class to stay with me?" She couldn't believe it: Just when she thought she had him figured out, he always seemed to find a new way to amaze her. He really did care about her.

"Well, yeah. Who else was gonna make sure you were okay?"

"The nurse?" Sora suggested, laughing. "Thank you…_both_ of you," she said. Both boys blushed slightly. The bell rang, signifying the start of lunch.

"Are you going to come and eat?" Matt asked. Sora nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." The two boys stood up, and walked out the door. Sora reached out, and grabbed one of them by the arm. They stopped, and looked into her eyes. The other boy just kept walking out the door, not even noticing.

"What do you need, Sora?" He asked. They didn't break eye contact.

"I, uh…I just…" she stopped, realizing words weren't her friend right now. Sora did the only thing she could think of: She pulled him into an intense, passionate kiss, which he didn't object to. Finally, they parted.

"What was that?" he asked, looking into her crimson eyes.

"My choice," she said smiling. Then everything went black again.

……………………………………………………………

**The end.**

**I chose to end it like this so that you could make it whatever couple you want. I'll be posting an epilogue, which will identify Sora's choice, but if you don't want to read it, it doesn't matter. It isn't crucial to the story; it's basically just to clear things up for the curious readers. If you want to make up your own ending, I suggest you don't read it, since it gives a pretty clear one. Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you liked it.**

**-Pinkdigi**


	8. Epilogue: My Choice

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.**

**Epilogue: My Choice  
**……………………………………………………………

When Sora awoke, she found herself in her bed.

'_When you wake up, you'll just know.'_

That was the truth: Sora _did_ know she had made the right choice. She smiled, and pulled the covers tighter around herself.

"Come on, you gotta get up, babe," her husband said. Sora groaned.

"But Tai, it's Saturday," she complained.

"I know, but we're supposed to have lunch with Meems, remember?" Sora nodded, as the memories of her life came flowing back to her.

She could remember all the events of her life after she kissed Tai. She dated him for the remainder of high school. They, along with Mimi, attended the same college—Tokyo University, where they continued their relationship. Matt and Mimi had also dated, but it didn't last very long. When they broke up, they decided it was for the best, and still remained close friends.

Sora and Mimi were still the best of friends, fifteen years later. Mimi had married a guy they met in college, named Rick. Rick was going to school in Tokyo, but is originally from America. She and Rick had two children, both boys. Mimi was now a famous chef.

Matt had become a famous singer. He, along with his band, toured all over the world after high school. While on tour in America, Matt met a girl named Alison, and the two got married a few years later. They had a daughter and a son. Tai, Sora, and Mimi still remained close with Matt, and would send letters back and forth while he was on tour.

As for Sora, she and Tai had three kids: two girls, and a boy. The girls mainly took after Sora, while their boy was the spitting image of Tai. Sora had become a famous fashion designer, and Tai was into politics. He used to be on the Japan soccer team, but that was quite a while ago, before they settled down and started a family.

……………………………………………………………

"Hey, Meems!" Sora said as she hugged her best friend. She was happier than she ever thought she could be: She had a great family, a great life, and her best friend back.

"Hey, girl," Mimi said happily. They went on to greet each other's families. The kids went off to play while the adults talked. They got together for lunch every Saturday, to stay close. The only difference this time was that Matt and his family weren't there, since Matt was touring.

"We got a postcard from Matt this morning," Mimi told them, taking it out of her purse. She handed it to Tai, who read it out loud.

"Hey gang, it's me, Matt. We're still on tour over in Australia, and everyone is having a great time. Alison and the kids say hi, and send their love. We just finished our new album—be sure to look for it soon. We should be back in a week or two, if everything goes all right. Hope to see everyone soon, please say hi to the kids from their uncle Matt!" Tai finished. Sora smiled to herself: In this life, everyone was happy. Sora had made the right choice, and not just for herself.

'With happiness, comes sacrifice. With actions come consequences. With change, comes responsibility.'

That couldn't have been truer.

……………………………………………………………

Sora went into her kids' rooms that night, and kissed each of the sleeping children. Then she went into her own room, and got on her pajamas. When she finally crawled into bed that night, she smiled. She knew she had made the right choice, and that everyone was happy. She cuddled up to Tai, and fell fast asleep.

……………………………………………………………

"Sora…Sora…" she could hear Mimi call her.

"Hello, Mimi," Sora said smiling.

"Congratulations, Sora. You made the right choice for yourself, and those you love."

"Thank you, for everything," Sora said happily. But there was still something she didn't understand. "But wait, if Mimi's safe, then why are you still here? If I chose Tai, that means Mimi never died…so how can this be?" Sora was very confused. Hadn't she saved Mimi? She thought she did, but then how was she talking to her ghost?

"You did, and technically, I no longer exist. I just came to thank you, one last time, before I disappeared," Mimi explained. Sora nodded, understanding. "I also have one final mission, Sora." Sora tensed up, afraid she would have to go back in time _again_.

"What is it, Mimi? What do I have to do now?" Sora cried.

"No, you've misunderstood. Your mission is finished. But I still have one final task to complete. I'm here to take your memories, Sora. The insignificant ones, the ones that serve no purpose."

"You mean, the memories of my life with Matt?" Sora asked. Mimi's figure nodded.

"Those, and the ones of your travel back in time. When you awake from your slumber in the morning, everything you have been through in the past few 'days' will be gone. You will have no recollection of ever meeting me in your dreams, either."

"Oh, I see. So, I'll still have _my_ memories, right? The ones from this life?" Sora asked. She wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into. Mimi nodded once again.

"Yes, your memories will remain intact, Sora. This 'dream' is just a time for me to remove the useless ones. In the morning, when you have forgotten all you've been through, the memories would only confuse you. Think of this as a 'cleaning-out' process." Sora nodded.

"But, what will happen to you? Will you just die, or something?" Mimi smiled, and shook her head.

"No, I cannot die. I will just vanish, until I am needed again," Mimi explained.

"Until you're needed again? As in, until Mimi dies and you become her ghost again?" Sora asked, bewildered.

"Something like that, yes. I am not a ghost; I'm simply a spirit: The spirit of your friend, Mimi. And since Mimi is alive and well, I serve no purpose, much like your memories. There are many difference between spirits and ghosts, as you will come to know when you too, pass on. Spirits retain information, memories, thoughts and feelings. Ghosts can only retain the shape, characteristics and appearance of a person. A spirit is the heart, mind and soul, whereas a ghost is just the body," Mimi's spirit told her.

"So, where will you go? Will you go to heaven, or someplace like that?"

"I cannot answer that for you. That is something you must find out on your own, when it is your time. I'm afraid I have said all I can say, Sora. I must begin erasing your memories, so you will be back to normal in the morning. Goodbye, Sora, and thank you. Until we meet again," Mimi's spirit said before disappearing, like she had done in every other dream.

"Goodbye, Mimi," Sora whispered.

……………………………………………………………

Sora awoke the next morning, with no memory of going into the past, her life with Matt, or Mimi's spirit. She got out of bed, and walked out of the room. On her way out, she saw something on her dresser. She didn't remember it being there the night before. Curious, she turned back, picked it up, and examined it. It was a heart-shaped rock, with a very smooth surface. It was a fair size, too. She ran her hands over it, and flipped it over. On the back, engraved, were the words: _'This is so you never forget.'_

Though she had no clue what it meant, she couldn't help but feel good inside when she read it. Smiling, Sora put it down on the dresser, and went into the kitchen, where Tai was making breakfast.

……………………………………………………………

**That's it...it's finally over! Thanks for everyone who read this, and I hope it was worth it. **

**If this didn't end in the couple that you wanted, sorry but I preferred it to be a taiora, and I got a lot of requests for a taiora. I had actually written this the same day I wrote the last chapter, but decided to make all the readers wait for something : )**

**If you really want me to write a sorato, I will, but this is definitely staying a taiora. I did one good thing though: I didn't make it a mimato! Well, until next time.**

**-Pinkdigi**


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